Following on the article in the AFR by Tess Bennett on 9th August highlighted that Elizabeth Broderick, the sex discrimination commissioner, found that the staff at the big four professional service firms felt overworked, bullied, and harassed by partners and senior management and are too scared to report bad behaviour!

According to Craig Cowdrey in the same article he felt that the recently released review by Elizabeth Broderick, “is allowing and enabling people to speak up in a way where they won’t be shouted down as a lazy generation Z”.

Long hours and a heavy workload seem to be the norm in professional service firms, that may not change anytime soon, but what does appear to be changing is that increased flexibility toward staff is now becoming the norm.

The MD of Google in Australia and NZ, Melanie Silva, recently spoke about the virtues of flexibility in the workplace, whilst Google have ordered staff back to the office three days a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday) she had recently benefited as a new mum from being able to work from home. Melanie believes that the work from office days where one can “meet people in the hallway” is helping to create serendipity.

The resulting underutilisation of expensive office accommodation is another matter entirely which has yet to be reflected in CBD rental rates.

This new paradigm shift continues to work itself out as we see the inevitable give and take by all sides.

Our business at Oasis Partners has certainly been the happy beneficiary of the significantly increased acceptability that on-line meetings are now an accepted way to conduct business, these newfound efficiencies compare Starkly to reality that previously many of these same meetings would have demanded significant travel.

Good luck and stay safe.

References:

1. The young execs making WFH work for them. AFR, Tess Bennett, August 8 2023 https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/careers/the-young-execs-making-wfh-work-for-them-20230807-p5duky